General information
Nationals of the following countries require a visa to transit through the international area of any airport located in the territory of the Schengen States in order to take a connecting flight to a country outside the Schengen area.
- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka.
In addition, nationals of the following countries require a visa to transit through the international area of any airport located in Spain in order to take a connecting flight to a country outside the Schengen area:
- Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Liberia, Mali, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Syria, Togo and Yemen. Holders of passports issued by the Palestinian Authority also require a visa.
Nationals of the States included on the foregoing lists do not require an airport transit visa if they have a Schengen visa, or another type of visa, or a residence card permitting their return, issued by a Member State of the European Union or of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, or by Andorra, Canada, the United States of America, Japan, or San Marino, or by any of the overseas countries and territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, or if they are a diplomatic passport holder, or a family member of a citizen of the EU or of the EEA, or a flight crew member of a State that is party to the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The Schengen area encompasses 26 European countries without border controls between them: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
The airport transit visa enables transit through the international area of airports located in the Schengen area but does not permit entry into the territory of the Schengen States. When a connection entails a change in airport terminal that requires going through a border control, it will be necessary to apply for a Schengen visa (see the “Schengen visas" section).
Required documents
1. Schengen visa application form
. Each applicant must complete and sign an official application form, filling in each of its sections. If the applicant is a minor, one of their parents must sign the application.
1.1. En caso de menores que no viajan con alguno de sus progenitores: se deberá aportar también autorización del progenitor que no le acompaña. Debe especificar a qué autoriza (visitar, residir...). Se hace en la policía y a continuación debe ser legalizada en el Ministère des Relations Extérieures y en esta Embajada. Acompañada de copia del documento de identidad del progenitor que autoriza.
2. Photograph. A recent, passport-size, colour photograph, taken against a light background, facing forward, without dark or reflective glasses, or any garments concealing the oval of the face. Photographs of minors must not show any part of the adult holding them.
3. Valid, unexpired passport. Original and a photocopy of the page or pages of the passport that contain biometric data. The passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned date of airport transit in the Schengen area. It must also contain at least two blank pages. Passports issued more than 10 years ago will not be accepted.
3.1 Photocopy of the national identity card (CNI). Failing this, a photocopy of the receipt (récépissé) will be accepted.
3.2 Photocopies of all previous and current visas (Schengen, USA, UK, Canada, Japan, Australia), if any.
4. Payment of the visa fee. General fee: 52.000fcfa. Children from 6 to 12 years old: 26.000fcfa. Diplomatic passports, service passports and children under 6 years of age: free of charges. Payment is made in cash in local currency at the time the application is submitted. The amount of the visa fee is 80 euros for people aged over 12 and 40 euros for children of 6 to 11. Children aged 5 and under are exempt from the fee. Different fees are applied for nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cabo Verde and Russia, pursuant to the respective Visa Facilitation Agreements formalized with these countries.
5. Documents concerning the continuation of the journey onto the final destination following the planned transit. Applicants must provide proof of the journey they are taking that involves an international layover in an airport in Spain or a country represented by Spain, as well as of the necessary entry permits for the country of destination and any other layovers. This is generally shown by providing the visa for the final destination country (in case you need visa for this country) and showing the reason of the trip.
6. Documents corroborating the applicant's intention not to enter the territory of any Member State.
Bank statements must be originals obtained from the bank, with the bank's stamp. Financial means from microfinance institutions are not taken into account.
The person requesting the visa must always provide documentation regarding his or her financial situation, even in cases where another person or entity covers the costs of the trip.
6.1. Proof of the applicant's financial and employment situation:
- Applicant's bank statements (minimum of the last 3 months). In case of having several bank accounts: present all of them, especially the one in which the remunerations are received.
- Proof of the applicant's employment status:
- Employees: Certificate of employment or other proof of place of work and the last 3 pay slips.
- Officials: 3 last pay slips.
- Merchants: Company registration and tax documents for the last two years.
- Other proof of economic activity, as appropriate.
- Proof of other sources of income, if any.
7. Proof of residence in the consular district. For foreigners: resident card.
Incomplete and walk-in (without appointment) files will not be accepted.
We accept documents in Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, French and English. Documents in other languages must be accompanied by a translation.
The entire dossier must be submitted in duplicate. That is, the application consists of:
- Application Form.
- Complete file folder containing the original documents.
- Photocopied complete file folder.
The folder of originals is retrieved together with the passport at the end of the procedure. The photocopies remain at the Embassy.
When necessary to assess the application, the Consular Office may request additional documents or data and may also ask the applicant to come in for a personal interview.
Only those applications meeting the requirements specified in sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be accepted.
Procedure
This Consular Office is competent to accept visa applications from third-country nationals who reside in the consular district and who plan to transit through the international area of an airport located in Spanish territory.
We also process airport transit visa applications for travellers resident in our consular district transiting in Portugal or Slovenia.
Citizens resident in Chad and the Central African Republic who require a Schengen visa for a stay in Spain apply for a visa at the French Embassies in N'Djamena and in Bangui respectively, representing the Spanish authorities in the area of issuing Schengen visas in these two countries.
- Who can apply for a visa: Applications must be submitted in person. If the applicant is a minor, the application must be submitted by their legal representatives.
- Place of submission: Applications must be submitted in person at the Consular Office. Taking an appointment is mandatory. Instructions to take a visa appointment.
- Visa application period: Visa applications must be submitted between 6 months and 15 days before the scheduled date of travel. Seafarers may apply for the visa up to 9 months before the date of travel.
- Proof of receipt: When a visa application is submitted, the Consular Office will provide the interested party with proof of receipt of the application with a code that enables them to check the status of the dossier through the following link: https://sutramiteconsular.maec.es/Home.aspx
- Biometric data capturing: The applicant's facial image and fingerprints will be captured during the visa application procedure. Applicants under 12 and applicants whose fingerprints have been taken in the last 59 months are exempt from fingerprint taking. However, in the latter case, if the applicant's prints are of poor quality, the Consular Office will request that they come back in to have their fingerprints retaken.
- Rectifying the application: The Consular Office may ask the applicant to submit any missing documents, or to provide additional documents or data that are necessary for a decision regarding the application. The applicant may also be called in for a personal interview.
- Decision period: The legal period for reaching a decision is 15 calendar days as of the day after the submission date of the application, a period which may be extended to 45 calendar days when an interview or additional documents are requested. Also in the case of additional checks.
Visa applications submitted by nationals of certain States require consultation with the central authorities that could affect the duration of the visa procedure. This does not affect citizens of Cameroon, Chad or the Central African Republic. It affects citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries.
- Return of passport and other documentation: The Consular Office or the Visa Application Centre will inform the applicant regarding the procedure for the return of the passport and other original documentation.
- Permission granted by the visa: The visa does not entitle the holder to enter the Schengen area; rather, it only permits the holder to transit through the international area of airports in the Schengen area.
- Visa refusal: Visa refusals will always be notified in writing, setting forth the grounds on which the decision adopted was based.
- Appeals: If a visa is refused, the applicant may submit an appeal for reconsideration to this Consular Office within 1 month of the day following the date on which notification of the refusal is received. An application for judicial review may also be filed with the High Court of Justice of Madrid within the 2-month period beginning the day after the date on which the applicant receives notification of the visa refusal or of the dismissal of the reconsideration appeal.
How to make an appeal: It can be filed any day from Monday to Thursday from 12:00 to 13:30 h at the Embassy window. The appeal file consists of:
- Letter of appeal SIGNED. Specify passport number.
- Optional: passport.
- Optional: New supplementary documents (originals and photocopies).
It is not necessary to resubmit the same documents that were already submitted in the denied application.
ATTENTION TO THE PUBLIC SCHEDULE:
Monday to Thursday from 12 to 13:30 hours without appointment for:
Please do not come to withdraw before you have been notified or you checked in sutramiteconsular.maec.es that the application has already been resolved.
New visa applications can only be deposited with an appointment.
WITHDRAWAL OF DOCUMENTS We return the documents only to the interested party or to a person authorized by the interested party; who must provide the power of attorney (procuration) together with the original and photocopy of the identity document of the authorized person.
WITHDRAW GRANTED VISA When withdrawing check that there are no errors in the visa label (for example, misspelled name). Check the number of days of validity of the visa, the number of entries and the dates. It is the responsibility of the traveler to check and comply with sanitary conditions. It is advisable to travel with the documents that have justified the visa, in hand luggage.
RESOLVE DOUBTS AND OBTAIN INFORMATION The only way to contact the visa section is by e-mail: .
No emails will be answered requesting information that is already contained on this website. The visa section has no hotline, and the ticket window is reserved only for depositing and withdrawing documents.
PROVIDE COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTS FOR YOUR VISA APPLICATION FILE : It’s possble to provide complementary documents only in case that the consular agent asks you to do so. In case of request, please send them to: . If it’s necessary to bring the original document, this office will ask you to do so. Please always provide your passport number or name+birth date, in order to let us find your application.
GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR SCHENGEN VISA An invitation from an entity, friends or family is not a sufficient condition. All requirements must be demonstrated (reason for travel, own financial means, willingness to leave the Schengen area before the expiry of the visa...). In particular, the requirements relating to the person travelling must be demonstrated.
Complaints or suggestions regarding the service received or the visa application procedure can be submitted online through this website. They may also be submitted in writing to this Consular Office.
Data Protection
The processing of personal data of visa applicants is done in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation.
Persons wishing to exercise their rights of access, rectification and erasure of their personal data in the Visa Information System (VIS) may do so by addressing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation:
Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación
Inspección General de Servicios
Postal address: Plaza de la Provincia, 1, Madrid, España
Email: dpd@maec.es
The following forms may be used to do so:
Persons whose visa application has been refused because they are banned from entering the Schengen area may exercise their rights of access, rectification and erasure of their personal data in the Schengen Information System (SIS) by addressing the Ministry of the Interior.
To obtain more information on your rights and duties and on how to exercise your rights of access, rectification and erasure of data included in the SIS, please refer to the website of the Spanish Data Protection Agency.
Basic legislation
Community Code on Visas:
- Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code).
- Regulation (EU) 2019/1155 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 July 2019 amending Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code).